A Meeting with the King
by Freida Right
Summary: A tale about the man who really raised Cecil and Kain, and how he bravely upheld his ideals as a king-even in the face of death at the hands of Golbez and his minions.


Another FFIV oneshot

Another FFIV oneshot. What more do you people expect of me these day??

This one commemorates the FFIV re-release on DS. I came up with it while watching my brother beating up Cagnazzo the other night. It's really dark, though. I'm rating it PG-13, for violence and slight suggestive themes.

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A Meeting with the King

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"My lord, there is a man waiting to see you in the library," the guard announced.

Odin, the king of Baron, looked slightly annoyed. He was having too much fun to take visitors right now. Nonetheless, royal obligation called.

"Fine, fine. Tell him that I will be there in half an hour. Allow me to finish my work here," the king instructed.

The guard nodded and left the way he had come.

The king turned to the two young men with him and sighed.

"I wish I could stay longer, but duty calls. Your skills are certainly coming along," he praised.

"We're glad you think so," said the one in dark armor. He was still a young lad, only 19 years of age, but he was strong and talented with a dark blade.

The other, clad in dark blue dragoon armor nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Cecil and I have been training harder than usual. It's been a tiring month."

Odin chuckled. "Big plans, eh, boys?"

"Oh yes," Cecil agreed. "Today, I'm captain of the Red Wings; tomorrow, who know what I'll be!"

"I can get there faster," the dragoon taunted.

"You just try, Kain," Cecil dared.

Odin laughed out loud.

"Haha! That's the sprit! Always aim high, lads. That's what will propel you to the top, no matter where it might happen to fall for you."

"Yessir," the boys chorused.

Odin stepped back and regarded Cecil and 20 year old Kain, the orphans whom he had raised as his own sons. They were good boys, brave and strong, and a bit competitive if he did say so himself. Princes they were not, but Odin had done what he could to teach them as he would have a real ruler.

He knew in his heart that they were both destined for some great fate, and knew that so long as they had the wisdom of kings and each other to lean on, they would not fail.

"But where exactly _does_ the top lie for you two?" he wondered playfully as he wandered to the door. "Perhaps in a higher command over the dragoons, Kain? Or do you, Cecil, intend to take the throne one day?"

"The throne? Why would I want that?" Cecil rebuked casually.

"No, wait, I know where the top lies for you boys," Odin said. "For you, the summit of success rests with fair lady Rosa's hand, no? None of you are children anymore, after all."

Kain and Cecil both turned their heads away, lest the king see their red faces.

"Ha! Don't bother with hiding it, my lads; I know how you are. Anyways, I can't say that I blame you. Such a sweet girl, Rosa. And a rare beauty, to be sure. Ah, yes, whichever one of you wins her will be truly blessed."

Kain and Cecil glared at each other. Odin knew that Rosa meant a lot to them, but now they meant business.

"Try not to eat each other while I'm not here to watch, okay? I have to see who calls for me. Such an inconvenient time…" Odin shook his head and left the courtyard.

He walked quickly down the corridors that led to the library. He knew the walk like the back of his hand. He often enjoyed walking to the library on his own. It was a chance to get some peace and quiet for a few minutes of the day. And a time to reflect on things.

He liked to think about his boys and what fine men they were becoming. There were also days when he wondered what exactly Cecil had come from. Kain had come from a faraway land, sent by his mother to train as a dragoon, like his father. Cecil, on the other hand, was a mystery. He had just appeared as a baby at the castle steps. No one had ever found his real parents.

That was just as well, however. Widowed with no children, Cecil and Kain gave him more of a reason to live than anything. He loved them as if they were really his children, and nothing would change that.

Nothing.

Odin entered the library and found it deserted. He looked around, but there was no one to be seen.

"Hello? Hello?? If there is someone here, make yourself known!"

"I'm right here."

Odin looked over into the nearby shadows and saw someone leaning against the wall, flipping through a book. He snapped it shut and looked up at the king. His gold eyes and sharp white teeth glittered in the darkness, even though the rest of him was concealed by shadows.

"Fascinating country, Baron is," the person said coolly. "What an excellent place to set up our base."

Odin whipped out his sword with a _shink!_ and pointed it at the shadowed one.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded. The person didn't reply.

"Speak! Answer me at once!"

"In due course," the person answered and uttered some strange words. The world began to shift and spin around them both, dissolving into a mass of blue and black. Odin tried to keep calm, but he had no idea what was going on.

The world solidified once more. Odin found himself in a dimly lit room of stone. There was a large, ornate throne nearby, though it was covered in dust.

"Good work, Cagnazzo," said a new voice. "You've brought him. Now let's get down to business."

Five people slunk out of the shadows around the throne. Two of them could barely be called human, but were rather masses of shapes. They came into the light and Odin saw their faces.

On the far left was a tall man, cloaked in red and armored in black and red metal. To his right was a woman with dingy green-gray hair and skin to match, and she wore the clothing of a cheap dancer. At her right was another man, made to look bigger from the bulk of his dark blue-gold armor. On his right was a figure of masked gender, hunched over and cloaked in a tattered light brown cloak; all that could be seen of the person was their gleaming yellow eyes and boney hands protruding from the sleeves. The last, on the far right, was shaped almost like a giant blue turtle with human hands and feet and a bald human head.

Odin immediately recognized the bald head and the gleaming beady eyes from the library. And now there were more of them! He brandished his sword, in what he knew was probably a futile attempt at defense.

"Put that thing down," advised the man in blue and gold. "We do not mean to harm you."

"Hehehehe… At least, not yet," the scantily clad woman sneered. She sounded pleased by her grim observation.

"Barbaricia, please," the red one chided, laying a red-gloved hand on her bare shoulder. "Let the master handle this."

The woman rolled her eyes at him like a child at her parent, but she stilled.

"Anyways," the dark one continued, "I have need of your position as king."

Odin scoffed. "For what?" he demanded.

"For purposes of my own."

"I think not."

The dark one chuckled and advanced on the king.

"Surely an agreement can be reached. You have something I want; I know that I can make bargain with you."

"Bargain? Over the throne of Baron? You're mad!"

"Perhaps," the dark one agreed, keeping his tone almost businesslike. "Let's make this simple, then. Surrender the throne to me and I _will_ reward you."

"You have nothing that I could possibly want," Odin informed savagely.

The dark one seized Odin by the throat with one hand and hoisted him off the ground. The king was so startled and frightened that he let go of the sword and it fell to the ground with a clank. The sound echoed ominously though the dark halls. He felt the tip of a dagger poking him in the gut.

"I think I have something you rather want," the dark one countered. He was probably smiling behind his helmet.

Three thoughts whizzed through Odin's mind: the first was that whoever these people were, they meant to do some terrible thing from the throne. The second was that he must not, at any cost, let these people take the throne. The third was a passing thought about his boys, somewhere in the world, and that he had to get back to them or at least try to stop these people, whoever they were, from taking over Baron.

It was horribly unlikely that he would be able to do either of these things.

"So, what do you say? Do we have an accord?" the dark one asked.

Odin took a breath, as deep a breath as he could from under the dark one's grip, and set his jaw.

"I'll never surrender my throne to you. I don't know what it is you want, but I will not give you my throne so willingly."

The dark one released Odin and he dropped back to the floor. His knees buckled and he collapsed, struggling to breathe. The other four began laughing in praise of their boss. Three were cackling, but the red one chuckled coolly, almost good naturedly.

"Well done, lord Golbez! Teach him how we do things!" cried the cloaked one. It spoke with a female voice, and threw its hands up in the air. They gleamed. The hands weren't just boney, they _were_ bones.

"Shut up, Scarmiglione," Golbez, the dark on, commanded. "Your fawning sickens me."

Scarmiglione shrank away and didn't speak again.

Golbez walked away from Odin and back to the dusty old throne. He sat down on the faded red velvet seat and griped the arm rests.

"It would seem that our subject is being stubborn," he noted to his minions around him. "Rubicant, is there anything you can do about this?" he asked.

"I'm sure there is," the red one said matter-of-factly, cracking his knuckles.

Odin started to jump up and reached for his sword, but realized how futile his attack would be against the fire that materialized in his opponent's hand. He jumped away, genuinely frightened of what was going to befall himself.

"I await only your signal, my lord," Rubicant stated.

"Break him," Golbez ordered.

With no other hesitation, Rubicant let a pillar of flame loose form his hand. It sped toward Odin at a terrifying speed, from which there was no time to leap away, or even think. Odin was engulfed by flames and sent flying across the room. He felt himself hit the stone wall and his breath was knocked from his body. The flames subsided and he fell down to the floor. He was covered in bad burns, and he could feel that some of his ribs were cracked.

"So," Golbez asked, loud enough for Odin to hear from across the room, "Will you relinquish your throne to me willingly, or face the wrath of my other minions? After seeing the damage done by the fire fiend, it would be wise to just give up your title willingly."

Odin struggled to pick himself up. The most he could manage was to come to his knees, clutching his throbbing side.

"Never!" he yelled back. "I'll never give up!"

"Barbaricia," Golbez summoned. The green woman floated forward, suspended in the air as if she were attached to strings. She was giggling gleefully.

"Whenever you're ready," Golbez said casually and snapped his fingers. Barbaricia's giggling rose to a maniacal cackle and she leapt out onto the floor. She flung her hands out at the injured king and a whirlwind sprang from her palms. The winds twisted all about Odin's form, tossing him all about the room. He was knocked against the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling. He felt more and more bones cracking, and he felt blood trickling down his forehead, his cheek, and out of his mouth.

The winds finally subsided and Odin fell five feet down to the floor. No amount of magic was going to save him now. He was so badly hurt.

A few memories flashed before his eyes, of Cecil and Kain. They were both children, sparing in the same courtyard he had been in with them not half an hour ago. Kain was still a few inches taller, being older by a year, and his blonde hair was still long, tied in a knot at the nape of his neck. Cecil's white hair was alarmingly short; he had just gotten it cut. He could hear their voices, almost as an echo.

"Come on, Cecil! You'll never be a descent dark knight at this rate!"

"I will so! Anyway, you'll never be much of a dragoon if _you_ don't step it up. What would our king say?"

"Stop that! Bring it on; I can beat you any day!!"

Odin remembered that he had inspired Cecil to be the dark knight he had become. He was a great warrior with a promising career. But what of these menaces? Whatever their purpose, they would surely try to use Cecil's amazing dark power to gain it.

Another memory came, of him giving the boys a pep talk. They were both bruised in several places and Kain's arm was in a splint. Rosa was there too, treating her friend's various wounds. Odin remembered this: this was the first real fist fight the two had ever had.

"There are more important things to fight over than water," he was telling them. "There's plenty for both of you, and then some."

"It's not my fault," Kain grumbled.

"It's not mine, either," Cecil retorted. The two turned away from each other, looking angry as only 12 year old boys can.

"You two should pull your act together," Rosa was scolding. "If you tear each other apart so over a glass of water, I'd hate to see what would happen if you fought over a girl."

"Girls are icky," Kain snorted. Rosa glared at him, looking hurt.

Cecil touched her hand to get her attention. "We're glad that _you_ aren't, though," he offered sheepishly.

"Lads, Rosa has a point," Odin explained. "What sort of king do you suppose I'd be if I just took all that I wanted, hm?"

"Not a very good one," Kain admitted sulkily.

"That's right. A good king is a selfless one. There is an unfortunate lack of selfless kings in the history of our kingdom. That's why the good ones, who only want what's best for their people—or charges—have to hold on to the throne with both hands, as tight as they can. A man will kill to get hold of the throne, and then use his power to take all for himself. Many a man I willing to do this, just to benefit himself."

"We're very glad that you're such a good king," Kain said after a pause. It wasn't the typical choice of words, but it was an apology.

The memory passed and Odin was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling with almost every bone in his body broken.

He prayed that Cecil and Kain would be alright, and that they would stand up to these creatures as best they could. He had done all he could, but it clearly hadn't been enough.

Golbez appeared above him, assessing the damage his minion had done. He finished quickly and drew a long sword of dark metal.

"Surrender the throne willingly, and I will ease your passing."

Odin laughed. Through the blood and the pain, it sounded like he was being throttled.

"You'll have to…pry it from my… cold death grip! A good king… defends his crown until… until the last."

Golbez resheathed his sword.

"Suit yourself. Your honor means nothing to us." He turned on his heels and walked away.

"Cagnazzo," Golbez said sharply. He snapped his fingers once more and Odin heard more evil cackling. Then there was the sound of rushing water. Cool water rushed rapidly over his face, washing the blood away. He closed his eyes…

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"Amazing," Rubicant murmured. "I was not aware that humans could be so stubborn. Perhaps they are better than we give them credit for."

Barbaricia punched him in the shoulder.

"You always have to be the gentleman, don't you," she said in a rude sing-song tone of voice. "He was weak and stupid, nothing more. I have no respect for them."

Rubicant snorted at her and looked over at the corpse of the dead king. Scarmiglione was eyeing the body hungrily, but seemed afraid to touch it.

"Lord Golbez, what are we to do now? The throne is empty, and we have this body lying useless in the basement of Baron castle," Rubicant inquired.

"Yes, I know," Golbez answered. "Scarmiglione, feel free to clean that up, if you wish."

The cloaked mass snarled and grunted happily, like a beast, and threw the cloak off its rotting head. Its head was not but a skull, thinly covered with ragged blonde hair. Its jaw snapped wildly and it bent down to devour the body before it.

Everyone looked away from the scene.

"That _thing_ disgusts me," Barbaricia whined. "It could at least decide whether it was a man or a woman."

"Gender wouldn't matter," Cagnazzo informed dryly. "Scarmiglione will always be an _it_ to me. It's disgusting."

"It has its own special talents," Golbez explained. "It does come in handy at times." He looked over at Cagnazzo to his right. "Actually, _you_ will come in handy too."

"Sir?"

"I mean for you to take the place of this man. I will give you a magical charm that will disguise you until the proper time. I shall have it for you in the morning. In the meantime, go and retrieve his memories, before Scarmiglione eats the head."

"Ewww…" Cagnazzo shuddered, but hurried to do his master's bidding.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Rubicant would have made a better replacement," Barbaricia pointed out, casting a glare at her rival.

"It doesn't matter," Golbez informed her. "Cagnazzo is a fool, anyways. I just need him to play a part for a while. I'll provide the script, and he will act it out. Setting him up as king—it will make him feel important for a while and keep his constant complaining at bay for a few months."

"Makes sense," Rubicant mused.

"And what will the rest of us do?" Barbaricia asked, trying not to watch Cagnazzo and Scarmiglione wrestle over the upper potion of the king's body.

"If either of you get blood on me, there'll be hell to pay," she snapped at them. Neither of the two seemed to hear her warning.

"The two of you and Scarmiglione will bide your time. Rubicant, I need you to go to Eblan and do some observing; learn all you can about them and wait for my signal. It may take a while."

"I'll be ready as soon as possible," Rubicant assured with a suave bow.

"Barbaricia, you and Scarmiglione will come back to the tower of Zot with me. There are preparations to be made."

"You mean I have to hang around with the _thing_?!"

"Silence! Do as I say!" Golbez commanded.

"At least you don't have to hang around that dried up old lunatic, Lugae," Rubicant consoled. "That man can be frightening and aggravating and boring all at the same time."

"Mad as he may be, his research will be most invaluable to the plan. Look after him well, and keep him out of trouble," Golbez directed.

"Of course," Rubicant said, sounding56r4 cool and collected yet annoyed. He flung his cape over his face and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Cagnazzo had finally managed to pull the dead king's upper half away from an outraged Scarmiglione. It was so angry that it couldn't even speak, only snarl like a mad wolf.

"Sush, you!" Cagnazzo ordered. "You can have it when I'm through with it; it won't take long."

Scarmiglione snarled again, but seemed to comply. Cagnazzo chanted his unpracticed sight spell over the king's eyes and saw everything the king had ever done in an instant:

Scenes from the king's boyhood, his training as a dark knight, his coronation and wedding, the death of his wife. More recent scenes of two boys and a pretty girl, the three of whom the kings had had strong feelings.

Cagnazzo was pleased. These connections were certainly going to come in handy; the boys, now a dragoon and a dark knight, would speed the plan along nicely, so long as they kept their noses in the right places. As for the girl, she was quite pretty and highly skilled. Oh, the plans Cagnazzo had in mind for her already…

"Are you done yet?!" Scarmiglione snapped, unfurling it's rotting forked tongue at Cagnazzo.

"Yes, yes," Cagnazzo snapped back, tossing the half-eaten body back at the monster. He was all too happy to be rid of the pallid corpse, missing its legs and most of its waist. He hurried back to Golbez to inform him of his accomplishment.

"I could use a bath…" he added, eyeing his blood-drenched arms and legs.

"We'll be leaving soon. Don't fret," Golbez informed.

"There is a boy that the king knew. A strong, brave young boy, trained in the ways of the dragoons," Cagnazzo informed. "I get the feeling that he is a good person, but he has much darkness in his heart. Could this be a sign?"

"It might be," Golbez agreed, sounding slightly interested. "Keep an eye on that one, and let me know just how promising he is. If it works out, he could become a faithful puppet."

"Yes, I will."

"I'm assuming that this boy has a name?"

"Oh, yes. From the memories, his name is Kain."

"Kain, eh? Very well. Anything else?"

"Well, two matters more. There is another boy, a dark knight."

"Dark knight? Splendid!"

"I don't sense darkness in his heart, like Kain. This second boy, Cecil, I think, has potential to be overly assertive."

"If he pulls at his leash, dispose of him. Those with great power must be destroyed is they aren't willing to comply. You saw what happened to our stubborn friend." Golbez pointed across the room, where Scarmiglione was finishing its meal.

Cagnazzo and Barbaricia shuddered.

"What was the other matter, Cagnazzo?"

"There is a white mage who lives in the castle. She is very well trained in her art, and she is quite beautiful."

"And?"

"I was wondering if, maybe…"

Barbaricia snorted. "Cagnazzo, you're as disgusting as Scarmiglione, in your own way. A man of the king's age hitting on a young woman like her? You'd blow your cover."

"She has a point. Leave the girl alone and keep your mind on your work," Golbez agreed.

"Aw man!"

"Grow up. Don't be so loose. I've never been with a woman, and I'm still alive."

"Oh; is that why you never smile?"

"That was too far! I won't tolerate such impudence from my minions!" Golbez thundered. Cagnazzo shrank back like a frightened dog.

"All of you, we have work to do. Let's be off," Golbez ordered. Scarmiglione slithered back to the throne, pulling its hood over its bloody face.

"That was a wonderful meal. Thank you, my lord," it hissed.

Golbez made an uncomfortable noise. "Glad you enjoyed it."

Scarmiglione grinned a slimy, brown and black smile full of razor sharp teeth. Everyone shuddered again.

"Ugh… To the tower of Zot."

Golbez waved his hand and the remaining four disappeared.

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Cecil and Kain were both worried. The king had vanished and no one seemed to know where he went. This was the second day he been gone, and there was no sign of him anywhere.

"Wasn't a hunting party sent into the countryside to look for him?" Kain inquired his friend, nibbling his fingernail.

"They came back this morning," Cecil informed. "But they had been attacked by monsters. Three of the men were slain, and the rest were covered in bruises."

"A monster attack? Those are so rare. Monsters almost never attack unless provoked," Kain pointed out.

"I know; it bothers me too," Cecil added.

"Does Rosa know anything?"

"I spoke to her this morning. She knows as much as we do. She's busy treating the members of the hunting party."

"What? Really?"

"You sound surprised. Where else would she be?"

"She's running towards us right now." Kain pointed down the hallway and Cecil turned to look. Indeed, Rosa was running toward them, panting for breath. The two boys ran to meet her.

"Rosa, what's the matter?" Kain asked.

"The king!" she panted, brushing her blonde hair out of her face. "He's back! He suddenly walked into the infirmary, and he's okay!"

The boys both sighed.

"Thank goodness," Kain said.

"Where is he now?" Cecil asked.

"In his chambers. He sent for you both."

"Excellent," Cecil said happily, clapping his hands. "Now we'll know what happened to him."

"I should warn you though," Rosa interjected, "there's something… different about him."

"Different? How do you mean, Rosa?" Kain asked, sounding concerned.

"I'm not sure. There's just something… not quite the same about him. I can't figure out what it is," she tried to explain.

"We'll get to the bottom of it, Rosa. We'll let you know the moment we find out," Cecil promised.

And with that, the boys started toward the king's chambers.

They entered the chamber to see the king looking out the window toward the sea. He looked the same as he had the day before, when they had last seen him. They were both so relieved that they felt dizzy.

But at the same time, they could tell that Rosa was right: nothing seemed different about him, but they could feel that he wasn't the same somhow.

"My lord, you've returned at last," Kain greeted, attracting the king's attention.

"Cecil! Kain! I sent Lady Rosa to find you; I didn't think you'd arrive so quickly."

"We've been worried about you, sir," Cecil informed. "You vanished and no one knew where you went. Are you alright?"

"Oh, certainly I am. Just got a bit lost, is all. You'd think I'd know my own castle a bit better, wouldn't you? Ha!"

"Um… sure," Cecil agreed. It wasn't in the king's character to get lost in the castle he'd lived in his whole life, but he supposed that it could happen to anybody. Baron castle was one of the largest castles in the world, after all.

"My lord, you were summoned to a meeting with someone in the library," Kain remembered. He came over and sat down at the foot of the bed. "What did he want?"

"Oh, just a young man, wishing for a small land grant in the countryside. He came to make the deal with me."

"Ah. Did you grant it to him?"

"Baron is growing large; the young people are moving farther and farther away from the village," Cecil pointed out. "I didn't know that he needed to ask permission from the king though; I thought that you simply bought a tract of land from a realtor in the village. Why did he have to ask you in person?"

"It was a piece of land that I had set aside for a new project. I had to ask him to search for his land elsewhere."

"Really? That's too bad," Kain said. "I wish him well, then."

"Indeed. Now then, I wanted to discuss yesterday with you both."

"Yessir?" the two asked in unison.

"Your training is coming along nicely. You're both becoming stronger by the day," the king praised.

"Thank you sir," Kain said with a bow of his head.

"I would that you boys become stronger. I have many new ideas, and they will require much man power. As hard as you boys have been working, I really do hope that you will train harder."

Cecil and Kain were a little surprised. Yesterday they had been doing more than a satisfactory job, and now they had to work harder? This was getting more and more strange.

"Sir, I don't understand," Cecil pointed out. "Before, you wanted us to take a break from all the training. You said that we'd wear ourselves out if we didn't rest for a while."

"That was before. Now I need you to work harder."

"Is there something wrong?" Kain asked.

"Kain, my boy, I can't tell you much right now. For the moment, I'm going to have to ask you both not to ask questions yet. In time, I will explain myself. For now, please just do as I request of you."

"Oh, certainly, sir," Kain agreed, sounding apologetic. "I didn't mean to—"

"Think noting of it, lad. Now you know. Thank you both for your help. I'm sorry that our meeting must be so brief, but I have an audience with Cid Pollendina, the airship engineer."

Cecil and Kain both looked interested. "Why?" Kain asked.

"New airships. If my plans are to succeed, the Red Wings will have to be made bigger, faster, and stronger. What do you think of this, Cecil?"

Cecil looked very interested.

"More airships? That's great! This should be a real challenge."

"I'm glad you approve. As the captain of the fleet, I know you'll take good care of the new additions and such. Now then, off you two go, before Cid arrives."

They left the room more than a little nervous.

"Rosa was right; he _does_ seem different," Kain murmured as they walked away.

"What new plans could he have possibly gotten over night that would require a new fleet of ships? And why does he want us to work so much harder?" Cecil wondered.

"We dare not question him, Cecil. He's our king. And besides, he's never given us reason to doubt him before. Surely our king has some great plan for the prosperity of the kingdom. We can trust in him."

"Yes, Kain; you're right. I'm just a little surprised, that's all. Thanks."

"No problem. So, to the practice yard, then?"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

And off they went, without thinking for a second that they were blundering right into destiny…


End file.
